It was all done in public, in broad daylight, before a television audience and a press corps seated ten feet away.
I had to review the podcast ten times, and seek the advice of those in intelligence to understand what had happened.
Usually, when a head of state is visiting, there is a red carpet somewhere. The host president gracefully accompanies the visitor to the entrance, say some nice words like; “We have had an interesting conversation.”
Nothing of the sort happened. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky left, in a hurried step, his 15-man delegation in step right behind him as they jumped into their bus.
A rewind of the podcast showed that Zelensky, who never dresses up in a suit, sat in a three-some beside a cold fire with US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
Like a freshman student, he thought he would “make an argument and stand his ground” before Trump. Whether the argument was reasonable or not, it was not the right time to make any argument.
The purpose of the trip was to hand over the rights of rare minerals in his country over to the US in payment for the US$350 billion expended since February 2022.
Yes Sir, wars are always about a superior power taking over resources of a minor country.
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Trump says in public what wiser men say in private.
Zelensky spoke first. He showed photographs of Ukrainian children blown up by Russian artillery at Bushwa in his country.
The Russians had taken away Ukrainian children (estimated at 1 200) and prisoners of war and refused to return them to Ukraine.
Surely, Russian leader Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted.
Ukrainians hate Putin. Zelensky wanted US support to continue the war so that the Russians can be expelled from Ukrainian territory.
All this made a lot of sense, but not to Trump. Trump has a good reason to hate everything Zelensky stands for. Ukraine leadership was in cahoots with Joseph Bidem.
When Trump tried to investigate a US$80 thousand per month paid to Hunter Biden (Biden’s son) for three years, the Ukrainians were in a secret relationship with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Trump was impeached over that matter.
The story is a long one. The Ukrainians were used by Democrats to launder money to military corporations back home.
Of the US$350 billion, US$77 million went missing. Zelensky himself is alleged to have bought a mansion in Floridia and another in the UK.
So much for fighting to the last man, as long as he is not the last man standing. One million Ukrainians have been killed or incapacitated by the war.
Young men are running away from recruiters, or bribing them not to arrest them.
This, vice president JD Vance brought to Zelensky’s attention.
Zelensky is supported by the European “Deep State”, which has been training the Ukrainian army since 2008 as a proxy against Russia.
Putin’s Russia First policy (since 2000) allowed Putin to jail or execute Russian oligarchs who were leaking money to Europe and not investing in Russia. Putin is therefore an enemy of Europe and the US.
Trump sees Ukraine differently. As late as 2024 September, Zelensky, believing that Democrats would win the US presidential election, showed up at a Pennsylvania election campaign in their favor.
Again, vice president Vance reminded Zelensky of this interference in US politics.
The key, however, is that while Zelensky and the Europeans speak “big noise” (black English) about fighting Russia, without the US, they amount for “squat.”
Again, Trump asked British prime minister Sir Keir Stammer how big his military contribution was.
Former US armaments inspector, Larry Johnson has estimated the UK combat forces around 67 000 men.
A Freudian slip by former prime minister Boris Johnson revealed that in Iraq and Afghanistan, the so-called multi-national forces nomenclature was nothing but a farce.
The US provided 90% of all equipment, men and fighting capability in those combat zones.
All this talk about a European force in the Ukraine is nothing but “big smoke.” It is a ruse.
Trump told Zelensky in blunt English.
“You don’t have any cards. If the US does not stand behind you, you have no cards.”
And for a man whose government has been paid for since 2023 by US funds, Zelensky had no business telling Trump “Big smoke.”
As we go to press, March 5, Trump has suspended all military support for Ukraine. Never the one to mince words, Trump was surprised that Zelensky thought he would by-pass him and appeal to the American people.
“America will not put up with it for much longer…this guy (Zelensky} does not want peace as long as he has America’s backing.”
Trump seems to have understood a key element in the war in the Ukraine.
As we speak, Trump has forced Panama to withdraw Chinese management of the canal in favour of an American company. Similarly, Russia refuses to allow Nato military bases in the Ukraine.
Trump challenges Democrats.
In a speech to Congress, aimed largely at the “corrupt Democrats” (his words), Trump enunciated his policy in very clear language.
“Car companies have announced that they will be building massive automobile plants in America, with Honda (starting) in Indiana.”
The corrupt Democrats allowed US companies and foreign companies to build plants in Mexico and then selling their products in the US duty free.
Chinese companies that had started work in Mexico have suspended operations.
Trump is correct. If you want to do business in the US, build your plant there.
Trump challenged the “corrupt Democrats” on Social Security payments. Elon Musk found “1.3 million people ages 150 to 159 and over 130 000 ages 160 years old…1039 people between ages 220 and 229… and one person is listed at 360 years of age.”
Congressman Brother Al Green continued to shout (an F Word) as he was forcibly ejected from the chamber. We are living in exciting times.
*Ken Mufuka is a Zimbabwean patriot. He writes from the US.
